Bill restoring only one V-P and V-C posts in MPPs and ZPPs passed

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The Legislative Assembly passed the A.P. Panchayat Raj (Second Amendment) Bill, 2026, on Thursday paving the way for restoration of the provision for one Vice-President (V-P) for every Mandal Praja Parishad (MPP) and one Vice-Chairperson (V-C) for every Zilla Praja Parishad (ZPP).

It was stated that the APPR Act of 1994 mandated the election of one President and one V-P for every MPP under Section 153 from among the elected members specified in Clause-I of Section 149 (1).

This arrangement was in existence till the year 2021 until certain amendments were carried out through the enactment of Act 14 of 2021, in which the office of second V-P was provided for each MPP.

Accordingly, Section 153 and other relevant sections in the APPR Act of 1994 were amended.

Similar amendments were carried out in respect of ZPP providing for two V-Cs in place of one V-C in the same amendment Act i.e. Act No.14 of 2021.

Accordingly, amendments were carried out to relevant sections. Amendments were carried out to give common effect to the positions of both V-P in a MPP and V-C of a ZPP.

However, the government observed that the intended objectives of the provision for a second V-P in MPPs and a second V-C in ZPPs had not been achieved and that the arrangement had not resulted in any improvement in the administration of MPPs and ZPPs.

The government reached the conclusion that continuation of the second V-P and second V-C positions would not serve any substantial administrative purpose and viewed it as superfluous to create plural leadership in local governance and did not add any value to improve administration. Hence, it decided to withdraw the provision made for second V-P position in a MPP and second V-C position in a ZPP.

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